2022 Conference – Speakers

Wellness on the Front Line™ 2022
October 18-21, 2022 in San Diego, California

Alyssa Aguilar, Psy.D., California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)

Dr. Alyssa Aguilar is a Senior Psychologist Supervisor in the Office of Employee Wellness (OEW) with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). She began her career in corrections over a decade ago working in the Los Angeles and Orange County jails, as well as completing her pre-doctoral internship with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. She has been with CDCR for seven years. After experiencing first-hand the stressors of correctional work, and seeing others impacted as well, she is now leading efforts to offer therapeutic services and consultation to staff at no cost as part of the programs offered through OEW. Her areas of clinical expertise include anxiety and depression, multicultural issues, relational problems, stress, suicide prevention, and trauma. Dr. Aguilar is proud to come from a family of veterans and first responders, which adds to her perspective and work. Outside of work, she enjoys family, baseball, and travel.

Mary Ashley, Deputy District Attorney, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office

Mary Ashley has been a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office since 1998.  She has served as a lead deputy in the Family Violence Unit, as well as a Supervisor, Chief Deputy and Assistant District Attorney.  She currently is assigned to the Specialized Prosecutions Unit and is the Co-Coordinator for the SBDA Peer Support Team, which was created in 2015.  Mary serves on the Board of Directors of the National District Attorney’s Association and is the Vice-Chair of the NDAA Women Prosecutors’ Section.  She is the published author of “The Value in the Three P’s of Wellness:  Peer Programs for Prosecutors” as featured in the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Journal and the California District Attorneys Association Prosecutors Brief.

Mary received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Southern California and her Juris Doctorate Degree from Western State University School of Law.

Gary F. Cornelius

Lt. Gary F. Cornelius retired in 2005 from the Fairfax County (VA) Office of the Sheriff, after serving over 27 years in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. His priorservice in law enforcement in several agencies included service in the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division. His jail career included assignments in confinement, work release, programs, and classification.

Gary taught four corrections courses for the Criminology, Law, and Society Department at George Mason University from 1986-2018. He also teaches corrections in service sessions throughout Virginia and has performed training and consulting for the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, the National Institute of Justice, Lexipol and for several jails in Virginia. He also presents online webinars and presentations on correctional issues. His latest book, The Correctional Officer: A Practical Guide: Third Edition was published in April 2017 by Carolina Academic Press. He has authored several other books in corrections, including The Art of the Con:  Avoiding Offender Manipulation, Second Edition, (2009) from the American Correctional Association, and The American Jail:  Cornerstone of Modern Corrections, (2008) from Pearson Prentice Hall. Gary has received a Distinguished Alumnus Award in Social Science from his alma mater, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and an Instructor Appreciation Award from George Mason University. In January 2011, Gary started a blog “Tales from the Local Jail” on The Corrections Connection (www.corrections.com) followed in December 2012 by his second blog, “Talks About Training” on Corrections One (www.correctionsone.com).     Gary has served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel (IACTP) representing local adult corrections. He has several corrections projects in development, including a second edition of The Twenty Minute Trainer, from the Civic Research Institute, and a new third edition of Stressed Out:  Strategies for Living and Working in Corrections from Carolina Academic Press. Gary has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and Tier Talk, discussing corrections security, training, and staff issues. He resides in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Deanna Dotta, Dispatch, San Diego Police Department

Deanna Dotta has been with the San Diego Police Department for 28 years. Deanna is the senior member of San Diego Police Departments Nationally Recognized Wellness Unit, as well as a  911 Dispatcher. She serves full time in the Wellness Units as the Alcohol & Substance Abuse Program counselor. Her primary responsibilities include guiding officers to solution-based resources for treatment of alcohol use disorder and post traumatic stress injury. Additionally, Deanna serves as a Public Safety Advocate for First Responder Wellness, and a subject matter expert for the Cordico Wellness App.

Kim Evans, M.A., The Counseling Team International

Ms. Evans is a therapist in Ventura County, CA specializing in trauma and its impact. In addition, Kim is a law enforcement spouse with first-hand knowledge of the impact recent years have taken on our front-line workers and their families. Working with First Responders, Military, Veterans, and their loved ones has been her passion for the past 20 years. Ms. Evans is currently an embedded therapist with the Ventura Police Department, seeing all sworn and dispatch personnel for annual Wellness Checks. Ms. Evans works with The Counseling Team International, multiple agencies and CIT, in Ventura County, as a trainer, Peer Support consultant and Critical Incident Debriefer.

Ms. Evans was an embedded therapist with CA Army National Guard and the Director of Psychological Health for the 146th Airlift Wing. Ms. Evans has briefed over 8,000 service members and their families on mental health issues and is considered an expert on military deployment, mental health, and its impact.

Kim has trained over 1,200 clinicians in the state of California with her workshops on Trauma and Military Culture and trains local law enforcement agencies on the importance of Officer Wellness.

Ms. Evans has a Master’s Degree from Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology, has been trained at the National Center for PTSD and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Her husband is in Law Enforcement and multi tour war veteran. Ms. Evans was honored to be named as one of the Ventura County Women of the Year for the 19th Senate District by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and recognized by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin and Congresswoman Julia Brownley.

Susan Feenstra, Sergeant, Sacramento Police Department

Sgt. Susan Feenstra was one of the original founders of the Sacramento Police Department’s Peer Support Program and was the Program Coordinator for 28 years. She is referred to as the “Mother Teresa of the Sacramento Police Department”.

She has helped guide numerous first responder and military organizations in building or expanding peer support programs across the country. Susan has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Sacramento. She is also a graduate of the California POST Supervisory Leadership Program.

Susan is also one of the founding members of the Sacramento Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Program. She has received numerous awards for her innovative work as a Problem Oriented Policing sergeant and officer, including a community policing award from the California Attorney General.

Susan is the recipient of the Sacramento Community Hero’s Award and the Molina Community Health Outreach Award for co-founding the Community Against Sexual Harm (C.A.S.H.) Program. CASH is a non-profit outreach program to help women out of a life of street prostitution and drug addiction.

She has received 3 Distinguished Service Medals from the Sacramento Police Department for her community policing and peer support program building contributions over her 33-year career. Susan is the past recipient of the California Woman Peace Officer of the Year, the California Jaycee’s Peace Officer of the Year, and the YWCA’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year awards.

She currently teaches peer support and surviving trauma courses across the country. Susan is also a member of the Sacramento Regional Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

John A. Ferrone, Esq.

John A. Ferrone is a partner of Adams, Ferrone & Ferrone and has been practicing law for 30 years. John specializes in the areas of workers’ compensation, ADR labor negotiations, employment litigation, and retirement.

John negotiated the first public safety ADR program for workers’ compensation for the City of Long Beach Police and Fire in 2008. Since that time, John has launched similar ADR programs in Huntington Beach, Orange County Fire Authority, Kern County, Rialto, Glendale, Bakersfield, Porterville, Madera, Burbank, Anaheim, and Orange County Sheriffs.

John is a guest lecturer for the Peace Officers’ Research Association of California, CCPOA, and several other public safety agencies. John also conducts training in the areas of workers’ compensation and has assisted safety organizations with drafting legislation.

Steve Froehlich, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Health Services

Dr. Steven Froehlich opened his private practice in West Los Angeles in 1976.  The focus of his practice has been to assist individuals, couples and families.  In addition, Dr. Steve has had the opportunity to serve many individuals from the Law Enforcement and Fire Service communities.  He began with the Beverly Hills Police Department, serving as a member and clinical supervisor for their Peer Support Team.  Later he was trained by the Los Angele Police Department in Crisis Negotiations and was added to the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Crisis Negotiations Team.  Subsequently, Steve was recruited as a Mental Health Professional to assist the FBI in their Los Angeles Field Office.  He provided training and ongoing consultation for the Peer Support Team as well as assisting post Critical Incidents and with individuals as needed.  In 1995, Steve was brought onto the Critical Incident Stress Management Team with the Los Angeles County Fire Department where he served until 2017.  This team is designed to mitigate the impact of critical incidents for fire service personnel.  The team is utilized within the County of Los Angeles, as needed, but is also deployed in out of County incidents such as Hurricane Katrina, in Arizona after the tragic loss of the nineteen Hotshots who were fighting the wildfires outside of Prescott, Arizona and then to Douglas County Oregon after the mass shootings at Umpqua Community College.  Then, in May 2017, Dr. Steve was asked to join the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City as their full time Director of Behavioral Health.  Both Local 112 and LAFD committed to providing the very highest level of Behavioral Health Services for their Members.  Finally, April 12, 2021, Dr. Steve was able to come back as Director of Behavioral Health and Lead Clinician for Local 1014 and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  Collaboratively working with local 1014 and the LACoFD, the Peer Support Team and Dr Steve are laser focused to bring the very best Behavioral Health Services to all Fire Department employees.

Gina Gallivan, Ph.D., AAPP & Associates

Gina Gallivan is a Licensed and Board Certified Police Psychologist. She currently serves as an Executive Board Member, and as the General Chair of the Psychological Services Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Dr. Gallivan received her Police Psychology training at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She has done over 10,000 pre-employment psychological screenings. She also conducts fitness for duty evaluations, and provides consultation, and management of peer support teams. She has provided psychological debriefings to over 70 police and public safety agencies in Southern California in the last 20 years. Dr. Gallivan has been a primary trauma responder to the following critical incidents: Seal Beach Salon Meritage Mass Shooting, Santa Monica Active Shooter, U.C.L.A. Active Shooter, Christopher Dorner Active Shooter and Manhunt, Route 91 Las Vegas Concert Mass Shooting, and Thousand Oaks Borderline Bar and Grill Mass Shooting

 

Kevin M. Gilmartin, Ph.D

8340 N. Thornydale Rd. 110-314
Tucson, Arizona 85741
520-744-0703
Fax 520-744-9298
E-mail: GHAKEV@AOL.COM
www.Emotionalsurvival.com

Dr. Gilmartin is a behavioral scientist specializing in law enforcement and public safety related issues. He is the author of the book Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement:  A Guide for Officers and Their Families. He previously spent twenty years working in law enforcement in Tucson, Arizona. During his tenure he supervised the Hostage Negotiations Team and the Behavioral Sciences Unit. He is a former recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police-Parade Magazine, National Police Officer Citation Award for contributions during hostage negotiations. He presently maintains a consulting relationship with public safety and law enforcement agencies in the U.S, Canada and Australia.

The Department of Justice, FBI, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, New South Wales Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police have published his work. He holds a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona.. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and resides in Tucson, Arizona and Bend, Oregon.

James “Chappie” Hunter, Detective, San Diego Police

In 1994, Chappie entered the San Diego Police Academy at 21y/o. Chappie worked as a uniformed patrol officer for thirteen years. He held positions as a Field Training Officer, Psychiatric Emergency Response Team Officer, SWAT Team Officer, and SWAT Sniper. In 2003, Chappie was involved in two on-duty shootings. He became a member of the SDPD Peer Support Team shortly after.

In 2007 Chappie was promoted to Detective and began working in the Vice Operations Unit. He was a founding member of the San Diego Based Innocence Lost Task Force combatting Child Sexual Exploitation. Chappie has also worked as a Detective in the Sex Crimes Unit, Metro Arson Strike Team, Narcotics Street Teams Unit, and Missing Persons Unit.

On Father’s Day 2013, while riding home on his motorcycle, Chappie was struck by an oncoming car that changed his life forever. A 17y/o girl with a learners permit suddenly cut in front of him. Chappie collided with the car, which instantly severed his left leg below the knee.

One-year post-accident, Chappie returned FULL DUTY to the San Diego Police Department where he continues to work to this day.

In addition to working as a Police Detective and running a small business, Chappie is now an ambassador for Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). As an ambassador, Chappie volunteers to help guide new amputees and their families through all stages of their recovery.

Jim Hyde, President, Peer Support Central

Jim has 31 years of California law enforcement experience with four departments. He has a BS degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Dakota, a MS degree in Clinical Psychology from the Professional School of Psychology, Sacramento, and is a certified Executive Coach. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Delinquency Control Institute. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police through the Police Executive Research Forum, Boston, Mass.

Jim is a co-founder of the West Coast Post-trauma Retreat. The WCPR is a trauma treatment program for emergency service professionals from across the globe. He was twice the board president of the First Responders Support Network. He was also the co­ coordinator of the Sacramento Police Department’s Peer Support Program for 14 years. He has taught and developed peer support programs for public safety agencies across the U.S and overseas.

He was the California National Guard’s Embedded Behavioral Health Program Coordinator and lead trainer for the Peer To Peer Combat Stress Program for troops deploying to and returning from the Middle East. Jim is a graduate of the California National Guard’s Officer Candidate School, later an OCS instructor, and a Combat Life Saver instructor. He has been a repeat presenter for the Department of Defense National Suicide Prevention Conference, a recipient of the California National Guard’s Medal of Merit and the Association of the United States Army’s Patrick Henry Distinguished Service Award.

Jim is the author and co-author of 3 books. Resiliency for First Responders, Healing America’s Heroes, and Thriving Throughout You Retirement Transition. Jim is the co­ founder and editor of PeerSupportCentral.com, which is an online trauma and stress management resource for public safety and military personnel. He is a member of the Sacramento Regional Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. Jim is the lead U.S. trainer for Different Tracks Global of Belfast, No. Ireland. DTG is a global non-profit organization providing community-based conflict management. Jim was also a past presenter at the UN Peace Conference at The Hague, Netherlands.

Ashley Iverson, Executive Director, IFAA

“On December 14th, 2017, Cory Iverson, a Fire Apparatus Engineer for Cal Fire paid the ultimate sacrifice while battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura County, California.

He was survived by his wife, Ashley, their daughter Evie, and – at the time – their unborn daughter Taylor. Ashley had spent more than half her life battling severe anxiety and depression largely in part from PTSD due to nearly losing her home at the age of 13 from arson and also from an inner need to help others. Just one month prior to Cory’s passing, a colleague died by suicide, leaving behind a young child and wife. It was then that Cory understood the gravity of mental health and the devastation it can leave behind in its wake.

In founding the Iverson Foundation for Active Awareness, Ashley is able to keep Cory’s memory alive for their daughters and to continue on Cory’s legacy through his sacrifice to help all first responders by promoting and encouraging a proactive approach to mental wellness.”

Kane Johnson, Engineer, Huntington Beach Fire Department

Kane Johnson is a 17-year veteran of the Huntington Beach Fire Department who holds the rank of Engineer. He is a founding member of the department’s Peer Support Team and is the handler for their Peer Support Dog named Kingman. Kingman was rescued from the Mojave County Animal Shelter in Kingman, Arizona. Kingman is a 3-year old Husky/Labrador (Huskador, or Labrusky). He was donated to the team by Tom Tackett of The Patriotic Service Dog Foundation. Kane’s wife of 16 years, Carrie, is a Clinician practicing OC. He and Carrie live in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Kane is very passionate about the mental health and well being of first responders. To decompress from the stress, trauma, and over stimulation of a career in the fire service Kane seeks refuge in the sea; surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, prone paddling, and stand-up paddling.

 

Justin Krueger, Lieutenant, Long Beach Police Department

Lieutenant Justin Krueger is a 19-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department (CA).  Most of his career has been spent in Patrol.  Ancillary duties have included, serving as a field training officer, SWAT team member, academy instructor and he is currently spearheading the Department’s e  efforts in peer support and officer wellness.  For the past four years, Sergeant Krueger has served as an elected director on the board of the Long Beach Police Officers’ Association.

 

Darrin Lee, Lieutenant, Anaheim Police Department

Lieutenant Darrin Lee has been a law enforcement officer for 28 years.  Currently assigned as a Patrol Watch Commander and Peer Support Team Coordinator at the Anaheim Police Department, Darrin has witnessed the police culture change from one that embraced autonomy, bravery, and secrecy to one that has started to value emotional wellness, vulnerability, and support.

Darrin started his career in 1994 as a police officer with the Covina Police Department (CA).  He spent seven years there as a Patrol Officer, D.A.R.E. Instructor, and Gang Detective.  In 2000, he began employment with the Anaheim Police Department where he was assigned as a Community Policing Officer, Field Training Officer, Arrest and Control Instructor, Burglary-Auto Theft Sergeant, Training Sergeant, Emergency Management Sergeant, and now Patrol Watch Commander.

Over the almost three decades that Darrin has served the public, he has been involved in a significant number of traumatic events.  Darrin has also witnessed the emotional and mental decline of close colleagues, some of whom have divorced their spouses, committed suicide, buried their own children after teen suicides, or lost their jobs due to substance abuse and other crimes.  In 2012, tired of simply watching his co-workers suffer alone, Darrin join the newly-established Peer Support Team at the Anaheim Police Department.  He soon became one of its coordinators, discovering the value of fostering a work environment that inspires fellow employees to take care of one another, and promoting the idea that the quality of one’s home life is correlated with the quality of one’s work life.  Wanting to expand the reach of the Peer Support Team, Darrin collaborated with first responders from other agencies to start the department’s first Therapy Dog Program in 2020.

When Darrin is away from work, he enjoys volunteering as a Tester/Observer with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and he sits on the board of directors with Paws 4 Success, a non-profit organization that connects service dogs with military veterans, first responders, and other individuals with special needs.  Darrin also holds a master’s degree in Sociology and teaches Sociology at California State University, Fullerton.

Jeffrey Mitchell, Ph.D., President, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF)

Jeffrey T. Mitchell, PhD, CCISM is Clinical Professor of Emergency Health Services at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, Maryland and President Emeritus of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. He earned his Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Maryland. Dr. Mitchell serves on the graduate faculty of UMBC and also has served as a dissertation reviewer for numerous graduate students in international universities when their dissertations were related to emergency personnel. He has presented at conferences in twenty-eight nations around the globe.

After serving as a firefighter/paramedic, Dr. Mitchell developed a comprehensive, integrated, systematic, and multi-component crisis intervention program called “Critical Incident Stress Management.” He has authored over 275 articles and 19 books in the stress and crisis intervention fields and serves as an adjunct faculty member of the Emergency Management Institute of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dr. Mitchell is a reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association and the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health. He received the Austrian Red Cross Bronze Medal for his work in Crisis Intervention in the aftermath of the Kaprum Train tunnel fire.

The Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists approved Dr. Mitchell as a Certified Trauma Specialist, and The United Nations appointed him to the United Nations Department of Safety and Security Working Group on Stress. He actively teaches CISM and consults with emergency services, military personnel, hospitals, business and industries on a regular basis.

Kris Mohandie, Ph.D., Forensic Psychologist

Dr. Kris Mohandie is a clinical, police, and forensic psychologist with over twenty-five years of experience in the assessment and management of violent behavior.

He is licensed as a psychologist in several states including California, Alaska, New York, Nevada, and Utah. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in Police and Public Safety Psychology. He has consulted in field responses and case investigations for local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations including LAPD’s Threat Management Unit, SWAT/Crisis Negotiation Team, and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Program. He responded on-scene to the O.J. Simpson barricade and the North Hollywood Bank Robbery Shootout. Dr. Mohandie has consulted to, and testified in numerous extreme violence and homicide cases, including mass and serial homicide cases. He was the lead author (with Meloy and others) of the largest single sample published study to date of over one thousand North American stalkers, which appears in the January 2006 volume of the Journal of Forensic Sciences, and is second author of a large study of female stalkers which was published in Behavioral Sciences and the Law in 2009. He was lead researcher (with Meloy & Collins) of a large (N=707) study of police shootings with an emphasis upon suicide by cop cases. The first publication from this research was published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences in 2009-additional publications stemming from this work came out in 2010 and 2011. Dr. Mohandie, along with several others, has participated in two scientific studies of mass murder, including those perpetrated by adults and adolescents. He has several coauthored chapters which appear in the 2015 book, International Handbook of Threat Assessment. Dr. Mohandie has conducted extensive trial pending and prison interviews of violent offenders, including a number of stalkers, hostage takers, workplace and school violence perpetrators, serial, and multiple murderers. Dr. Mohandie’s work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, E!, and he has appeared in the news programs of CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, and Fox, as well as programs on Investigative Discovery, A&E, History, and the Discovery Channel. He was the host and a producer on the Investigative Discovery show, Most Evil. He regularly consults on matters of risk and threat management to the private and public sector, including the entertainment industry.

 

Stephen E. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge (retired)

Drug Enforcement Administration

As a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Stephen Murphy and his partner, Javier Pena, targeted the world’s first narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar, and the Medellin Cartel. Living and working alongside their Colombian National Police counterparts in Medellin, Colombia, as well as with elite U.S. military units, their efforts resulted in the dismantlement of the largest and most violent international drug trafficking organization of its time. This was a first in the field of international narcotics investigations. U.S. and international law enforcement agencies continue to utilize many of the strategies and innovative ideas that were created and implemented by Steve and Javier.

Steve began his law enforcement career in 1975 as a Police Officer in the City of Bluefield, WV. He then moved to Norfolk, VA, and was employed as a Special Agent for the Norfolk Southern Corporation.

In 1987, Steve became a Special Agent with the DEA. His agent assignments included Miami, FL; Bogotá, Colombia; and Greensboro, NC. Earning progressive promotions and leadership roles, Steve served two tours in Atlanta, GA, where he was assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) office and led the Mobile Enforcement Team Program, and later created and directed the Atlanta Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force. In 2001, Steve was assigned to the Special Operations Division in Washington, DC, serving as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge and as the Executive Assistant to the Director. In 2009, Steve was promoted to the Senior Executive Service ranks as Deputy Assistant Administrator over DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence in Washington, DC, and later as the Special Agent in Charge/Director of the Department of Justice (DOJ), OCDETF Fusion Center, where he remained until his retirement in 2013, after 37+ years in law enforcement.

Steve was the recipient of numerous awards and honors throughout his law enforcement career, to include the “DEA Special Agent of the Year Award,” the “DEA Administrator’s Group Achievement Award,” the “Director’s Award” from DOJ’s OCDETF Program, the “Distinguished Service Cross” from the Republic of Colombia (first time presented to a non-Colombian official), and the “International Award of Honor” from the International Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association.

Following retirement, Steve founded a private company that provides specialized training and solutions associated with drug related issues, law enforcement, intelligence, and investigations. Focusing on their overseas experiences, Steve and Javier provide keynote addresses worldwide that discuss their experiences, leadership principles, conflict management, and how to survive and succeed when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds. Audiences include corporate events, conferences, universities/colleges, performing arts centers, law enforcement, and non-profit/charitable organizations. Steve and Javier served as Technical Consultants for the hit Netflix series, Narcos, which is based on their activities in Colombia. They have appeared in numerous documentaries and programs. In late 2019, their book, Manhunters – How We Took Down Pablo Escobar, was released by St. Martin’s Press and is currently available in 13 countries.

In addition to keynote speaking, Steve and Javier continue their efforts to bring awareness to current drug related issues including the opioid/heroin/fentanyl epidemic, and deadly counterfeit medications illegally entering the U.S. They have spoken twice about these topics on Capitol Hill to members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and to the American Legislative Exchange Conference and other state level organizations. Steve serves on the Advisory Board of Verde Technologies, a company that produces drug deactivation kits.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Bluefield State College. He is a graduate of several executive leadership programs at the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University. Steve is married with four children.   www.DEAnarcos.com

Scott Ross, Fire Captain, Los Angeles County Fire Department, PSPSA Director At-Large

Scott is a 28-year veteran of the Fire Service, currently a Fire Captain assigned as the Peer Support Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Fire Peer Support Team. The LA County Peer team consists of 134 trained Peers that are of service to over 4,000 LA County members including Firefighters, Lifeguards, Dispatchers, Executive and administrative personnel. He has been involved in Peer Support for over 17 years with extensive training in both ICISF and IAFF.

He is a Master Instructor with the IAFF for their Peer support training program. Captain Ross has been deployed by the IAFF as a Lead Peer to LODD’s in Prescott AZ (Granite Mountain 19), Redding FD (Ca.), Cal Fire (San Diego Ca.), Salt Lake City Ut. and LBFD (Ca.). He has also been deployed to multiple mass shootings incidents that include Route 91 in Las Vegas, UCC College shooting in Roseburg OR. and Walmart shooting in El Paso TX. Scott is also an executive  board member of the PSPSA.

Deborah Silveria Ph.D., The Counseling Team International (TCTI)

Deborah Silveria Ph.D. is both a licensed psychologist and marriage and family therapist. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 1993. She has a private practice at the Amenclinics in Costa Mesa, with a focus in trauma and grief counseling. She is an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Trainer. She is a member of the Counseling Team International.  Dr. Silveria is an Approved Instructor for ICISF (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation). She is a POST Instructor and part of a team of instructors for CIT (Crisis Intervention Training for Law Enforcement).  She also provides trainings in Resilient Leadership. She teaches at Cerritos College in their Foster and Kinship Program, and she is an Adjunct Professor at Cal State Fullerton.

She has presented nationally and internationally. Most recently on EMDR Therapy with Public Safety Personnel and she has worked hundreds of critical incidents (Haiti, India, China). In the past she has been the Clinical Director of Family Solutions, a non-profit organization for foster and probation youth.  She was the Director of an in-patient adolescent psychiatric unit at CPC Santa Ana Hospital and Head of the Partial Hospitalization program at BHC Alhambra Hospital. She was also the Day Treatment Director for Olivecrest Treatment Center’s Level 14 group home for seriously emotionally disturbed adolescent males, located in Bellflower.

Jeff Takeda, Detective, Simi Valley Police Department

Jeff Takeda is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and an active law enforcement officer with over 20 years of experience. His assignments have included patrol officer, field training officer, SWAT team member, major crimes detective, and task force officer with a federal counter-terrorism task force.

In 2020 Jeff started Takeda Training Concepts, which provides meditation training to first responders and veterans. Jeff is a trained mindfulness facilitator through the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center and a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He co-founded a mindfulness program at his police department. In addition, Jeff has taught meditation programs to physicians, federal law enforcement personnel, executive protection professionals, social workers, and community groups.

 

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